Discovery said that pay-monthly Vodafone subscribers in the U.K. will get the Discovery Plus streaming service at no additional cost for six months.
The six month period includes the Tokyo Olympic games. Discovery has the TV rights to the Olympics in Europe and plans to stream 3,500 hours of Olympic coverage on Discovery Plus, including 55 live event feeds.
Adding more subscribers--even if they’re not paying for the service--will give Discovery more viewers to sell to advertisers during the Olympics. Discovery is also counting on some of those trying the service for free to step up and pay for subscriptions.
“Our streaming service Discovery Plus has become incredibly popular since its launch only six months ago. This summer, we’re excited to build on our partnership with Vodafone to bring Discovery Plus entertainment to their UK customers with a very special offer,” said James Gibbons, Discovery’s executive VP and general manager for the U.K. & Nordics. “Packed with the best true-crime, paranormal, documentary and reality content, plus Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 live this month, there’s something for the whole family to get excited about at the home of real-life entertainment."
Vodafone was one of the original distribution partners for Discovery Plus in Europe, carrying the streaming service in 12 markets. At launch Discovery Plus was available to Vodafone’s mobile customers.
“The British summer of sport is going from strength to strength, which is why we’re delighted to give our customers access to Discovery Plus Entertainment just in time for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. There’s also a wide range of content outside of sport that customers can enjoy, including documentaries and boxsets,” said Max Taylor, consumer director, Vodafone U.K.
At the end of their six-month offer period, customers will have the option to continue their subscription for £4.99 per month or cancel the service without any charge.
Before Discovery Plus launched in the U.S., it was offered free to Sky Q customers in the U.K. and Ireland for 12 months.
In the U.S. it was provided free to Verizon customers.
